Endurancℯ/Story
ACT I: The Telltale Heart The trusted one may not always be the one to tell your heart's story. Episode One: Ultimate Ace Zane Correign, the new host of the show Endurance, walks across a small grassy lawn in front of a large mansion. He has blonde hair, and he wears a tuxedo entirely. He smiles in front of the camera and says, “Welcome to the brand new show of elimination, celebration, and plot twists! This is Endurance—hosted by yours truly: Zach Correign!” Zane throws his hands in the air, cheering. He drops them just in time for a limousine to pull up right in front of him. Out of the limo comes a tan man in his late teens. The eighteen year old man has on a white tank top and blue jeans, and has shaggy blonde hair and brown eyes. “This is Brady,” Zane says, welcoming the first contestant of fourteen. “What’s up?” Brady asks, walking with his luggage ahead of him. “The sky,” Zane teases. He points to a spot to lay his things, just as a second limo pulls up as the first one leaves. Out comes a female woman who is, again, eighteen. She has purple dyed hair, a purple iris, and wears a red maid’s outfit. She smiles as she exits the vehicle. “Hey! Hi! What’s up ya’ll!?” she exclaims. “This is Daniella; an obsessed cosplayer. How’s it hanging, Daniella?” Zane asks. “It’s going great!” She exclaims. She walks off as a third limo pulls up as the second pulls out. Another woman emerges from the limo. This time, she has long brown hair flowing over her green eyes, and she wears a pink shirt and blue jeans. She stands up and throws her luggage out into the grassy plain. “Hailey,” Zane says, smiling. Hailey, the girl, smiles and walks up to Brady. “What’s up, handsome?” she asks. “Eh…” Brady mutters, backing away from her. The first limo arrives as the third takes off. From it emerges a man with short brown hair, who wears a tuxedo similar to Zane. As he emerges, he laughs a sort of maniacal way. “Harvey, everyone,” Zane says, welcoming Harvey to the show. “Uh, yes. Harvey Deuk at your service,” he says, walking up and placing his bags to the ground. “You look like someone who’s awesome!” Daniella cheers, walking up to him. “Yes, and you look like someone who will clean my room when I make a mess,” Harvey says, looking off to the next arriving limo. Out steps, from this limousine, a black male with short black hair, who wears a pink shirt with a large ‘J’ etched into it, and pink blue jeans. He steps out, “Jordan’s here baby!” “Yes, this is Jordan. How’s it going?” Zane questions, looking at the other contestants. “There aren’t any good women here yet,” Jordan says with a frown. “That’s insulting,” Hailey scorns. “And you’re ugly,” Harvey butts-in. Out of another arriving limo, a woman emerges wearing a fruit hat. Her name is Marmalade, and she has on a large orange dress. As she arises, a banana falls off of her hat and lands on the ground. As the limo takes off, the banana explodes. “Marmalade!” Zane cheers, patting her back. She, a Columbian woman, smiles and walks up to the others. “How is everyone?” she says cheerfully. “Lovely,” Harvey remarks. The limousine arrives with another man inside. He emerges to reveal he has brown-red hair. He has on a black jacket and blue jeans. “Michael; the amnesiac!” Zane cheers. “There’s no need to point that out, dude,” Michael scorns. “Well, you never know when it might come in handy to tell everyone that!” Zane exclaims. “You have amnesia?” Daniella ponders to him. “Sadly, yes. I suffer a brain condition that concerns temporary amnesia,” Michael sighs, sitting his bags down. Another limo arrives with a short woman. At only four feet, Natalie is the shortest player on the show. She emerges to reveal her ponytail brown hair, striped pink shirt, and blue shorts. She spits out a wad of gum she was previously chewing, and walks up to the other contenders. “Natalie…” Zane says, looking at her oblivious face. “I’m sorry, what?” she asks. “Just go stand over there.” Another limo arrives, this time with another woman exiting. She has on a purple top and purple shorts, and her hair is banded up in a yellow headband. “Olivia!” Zane exclaims. “Hey there,” she says, walking out of the limo. She throws her bags in a pile with everyone else’s luggage. She stands next to Brady. “I like your hair band,” Brady compliments her. “Only a few more people left! Who’s next?” Zane asks the camera as another limo pulls up to the street. Out steps a deformed man in a green shirt and blue jeans. “Riccardio!” Zane exclaims. Riccardio stands up, smiling, just as he is crushed under the weight of a robot named ROB. “And…this is…Rob? I thought you were human, not a robot,” Zane says, checking a piece of paper he has printed off in his hand. “Does not compute,” Rob mutters, robotically walking off by Zane. “Well, that saves us some gas for when we kick some of you guys out of the competition. Only three kids left! Who’s next?” Zane ponders. The next limo arrives, and out comes a dyed red haired woman in a red shirt and blue jeans. “Hey guys!” she exclaims. “Scarlett, everyone!” Zane exclaims. “Wow, she’s hot,” Michael gawks at her. She sways her body as she walks up to him. “Good luck with that,” Jordan teases. The next limo arrives, and out comes the final two contestants. Before the limo leaves, it breaks down. The first player is a boy. He has blonde hair and has on a pink shirt and sky-blue jeans. The other is a black female with brown hair and a yellow shirt with a star on it. “Tony and Tiffany!” Zane exclaims. “Heeeeeeeey guys!” Tony exclaims. “Hi, uh, Tony,” Jordan says. “Fifty bucks that this boy’s gay,” Brady whispers into Jordan’s ear. “The winner has arrived!” Tiffany cheers. “Don’t get a big head,” Hailey warns with a slight tease. “Alright guys—hush your faces. We have a mansion to meet,” Zane gathers his contestants together and says. He leads them up through a dirt path to reach a luxurious mansion. Inside is the entryway: the dining room. One huge king’s table stands in the middle, with fourteen chairs attached; seven on the left and right, and one at the top and bottom. The players sit down in their respective seats and congregate. Aside of this is the main hallway. Fourteen rooms line up next to a stairway, which leads upwards to Zane’s office and a few extra supply rooms. “Welcome to the Endurance mansion, contestants!” Zane exclaims. The players all cheer, ready for their first day in the new competition. “Before I turn you loose to do whatever, I have to tell you about a couple things. First of all, I need to assign you to teams. This activity will require you to, as well, choose a team name.” “Cool!” Daniella exclaims. “Yes, indeed. So, when I call your name, stand up and walk over here. Ahem: Daniella, Harvey, Marmalade, Michael, Rob, Natalie, and Scarlett!” The team gathers by Zane and greets each other cordially. “The rest of you: Brady, Hailey, Olivia, Riccardio, Jordan, Tony, and Tiffany. You will be on the second team. Now then—you two teams have like, ten minutes to conjure up a name and tell me.” “We should be the Dancing Watermelons!” Marmalade recommends. “Uh, no. The Rich Children sounds better than that,” Harvey argues. “What about the Silver Scrolls?” Michael names off randomly. “That’s not that bad of a name,” Scarlett agrees. Michael looks at her and smiles. “I’ll go with the Dancing Watermelons,” Natalie says to Marmalade. “I like being a Silver Scroll!” Daniella cheers, walking up to Michael. “We need to agree on something, so I’ll just go with this crazy maid chick,” Harvey walks over to her. “So we’re agreeing on Silver Scrolls?” Michael asks. “It’s not unanimous,” Natalie says. “It’s good enough for me!” Zane says, butting into their conversation. “The Silver Scrolls have been established!” “The Burning Bushes!” Tony exclaims. “That sounds stupid. The Sexy Models!” Brady remarks. “Cheering Leaders!” Tiffany exclaims. “Bull crap!” Tony argues. “Cheering Leaders!” Hailey exclaims in agreement to Tiffany. “Burning Bushes!” Tony scorns. “I don’t care, really,” Riccardio says, sitting back. “Good, please get your face away from me,” Olivia scorns. “That’s not very nice, Olivia,” Riccardio says, sitting back in his chair. “Nobody likes your face. Now, please stay out of this,” Jordan says, looking ahead from him. “All I’ve heard is Burning Bushes,” Zane says. “No! We don’t agree to that at all!” Olivia shouts. “Oh well! You’re all the Burning Bushes now!” “Now then,” Zane says, gathering his contestants around a small grill outside of the mansion, right next to a large pool. “Money is a big part of this game. Each of you right now is at an outstanding cash amount of zero. To raise this higher, you need to do well in challenges. If you win first place, you get a higher cash payoff than the other places. As well, if you’re in first place, you will win immunity for your team as well as becoming what is known as the Ultimate Ace. The Ultimate Ace is the player who chooses two players for elimination from the losing team. After they are selected, everyone will go vote minus the two losers. One of them will be sent home, and the other will stay.” “That’s cool, when’s our first challenge?” Olivia asks. “Your first challenge will occur tomorrow. I’m cutting you loose today after I assign you to rooms,” Zane says. He posts a room assignment paper on the wall, and lets everyone throw their bags in their rooms and rest. “You, there,” Harvey marches up to Daniella. “What is it?” she asks. “You seem like you’re valuable. Plus, you’re not that bad looking. We should align,” Harvey smiles to her. “Oh, uh, I don’t know,” Daniella shrugs. “Alliance? Where?” Marmalade walks into the room. “Oh, nothing, I just asked Daniella to be a sort of friend to me. You should join me—we’re stronger as three than two,” Harvey says, smiling. “Oh, well, I’ll do it if she does it!” Marmalade exclaims. “And I’ll do it if she does it,” Daniella remarks. “…Well then, let’s assume you’re doing it,” Harvey looks at Daniella. He backs out of her room, leaving Marmalade and Daniella to shrug together. “Might as well, right?” Marmalade asks. “Hi Scarlett. Thanks for agreeing with me earlier,” Michael thanks her. “What? Oh, you’re welcome. I just liked the name,” Scarlett laughs. “Uh, yeah, again, thanks,” Michael stutters. “Attention all contestants! The confession booth is open up near my office. Come in, lock the door, and let it all flow out!” Zane says from an intercom system. Inside of the confessional booth, Scarlett sits down on a purple couch. It’s somewhat fluffy, actually. She smiles into the camera and says, “I think Michael’s trying to hit on me or something. I don’t know, but it’s weird.” After her arrives Harvey, who plainly says, “I don’t appreciate those girls not aligning with me. At least they’ll do it now, but still.” And after him piles in Marmalade and Daniella. Marmalade says, “I think this alliance with Harvey is going to work out very well as long as we can work together.” Daniella simply smiles, and says, “Agreed. I think Harvey will work well with us. It’s the three of us against all of them, though. And if two of us goes up for elimination, we don’t really have a say unless we have some strong friends.” “You look vaguely familiar to me,” Tiffany says to Hailey. “Really? How?” Hailey asks. “Did you go to Malbrook high? Tiffany asks. “Oh, yeah, why? –Oh crap, you were one of the cheerleaders weren’t you?” Hailey asks. “Yeah! That’s right, I remember you!” Tiffany exclaims. “Yeah! Wow, what a coincidence this is,” Hailey laughs. “Yeah, totally,” Tiffany giggles. In Riccardio’s room, Riccardio stands in his bathroom with a sharp pocket knife. He slightly sobs as he slices his cheeks. “Stupid face! I hate you!” Knock knock. Olivia knocks on the door, “Riccardio?” Riccardio simply ignores her and continues cutting his face. Olivia persists on knocking until Riccardio finally opens the door with a towel around his face. “What?” he asks. “What happened to you?” Olivia asks. “I cut my face shaving. What do you want?” Riccardio persists. “I just want to talk.” Written On: '' ''3/3/13 Author's Notes: It's the beginning of a long story. If you haven't noticed, each chapter is not going to end in elimination. It's gonna always end with some form of cliffhanger. As well, there will be three acts. Each act has one centered problematic event that will eventually be resolved during the big finale event. Right now, take a wild guess at what the big problem is. You'll never get it. '' Episode Two: Raisin Skinned Losers "It's Olivia. I think we should talk." Zane walks in front of the mansion; the camera following him. "Welcome to Episode Two of: Endurance! Last episode, everyone was divided into teams of seven. They were assigned rooms and began their long journey on the show. And in this episode, we will have our first actual elimination. Who will it be? Who ''won't ''it be? Find out right now on Endurance!" "What do you want, Olivia?" Riccardio asks, staring at the door. Olivia opens the door and walks inside. "I know you're here to prove a point," Olivia says, sitting down on his bed. "I'm here to win money, not prove a point," Riccardio responds. "You're here to show you have a...somewhat deformed looking face, and that you can win against the odds here. And I'm telling you that you need to become an antagonist," Olivia says. "What?" He asks. "An antagonist. Allign with me and we'll keep this all secret. We'll take them all down ourselves--nobody will expect it." "You're crazy." "Am I? I'm the only person who will give you this chance, Riccardio." "...Fine. You better not be tricking me." Later that morning, Harvey walks up to Natalie's door. "Natalie, I know you're in there. I need to talk to you," Harvey says, knocking. "What is it?" Natalie asks. "You're one of those pretty-girls, are you not? You and your attention grabbing skills will be useful in an alliance. What would you say to that?" Harvey asks. "Well, I don't know if I can trust someone as rich as you. How do I know you won't try to betray me?" "You don't. But you must trust in someone, yes?" "I...I guess. I have no reason to disbelieve," Natalie sighs. "Exactly. So you'll do it?" Harvey asks. "Yes." Harvey smiles and walks back to his room. "I heard all of that," Daniella says, walking up to him. "And?" He responds. "And I want in and what you're offering. Three people is better than two," Daniella says. "How do I know ''you ''won't betray me?" Harvey asks. "Exactly. You don't," Daniella smiles. "...I like you. We're gonna get along just fine," Harvey shuts his door. "Hey Michael," Scarlett asks, walking into the dining room. "Sup'?" Michael asks, opening a can of Pepsi. "Nothing. I'm starving--did Zane cook anything?" Scarlett asks. Everyone begins filing into the room. "Don't tell me we need to fend for ourselves," Hailey asks, walking in. Tiffany walks in and sits down next to her. "Calm down, everyone," Zane says, walking in with two chefs. "Finally," Brady says, sitting down. "Five star chefs. Enjoy your pancakes," Zane walks away. "Blueberries and maple syrup? This is amazing!" Jordan exclaims. "Got any bananas?" Tony asks, looking at one of the chefs. One walks up to Marmalade and takes a banana off of her hat and throws it at Tony. "Thanks," he winks. "Hey! My hat!" Marmalade exclaims. "Everyone, report outside for today's challenge," Zane shouts inside from the glass doors. Moments later, everyone appears outside around the pool to greet Zane. "Today is our very first challenge. Before I explain it, go change into your swimwear," Zane says. Everyone takes off and returns later in their swimwear. In the confessional, Olivia sits and complains, "I didn't know this competition would have any reason to swim. Whatever, though." "Sexy," Michael winks at Scarlett. She giggles. "Today's challenge is a simple dive in the pool. Each of you at this time has no money. Zero dinero. You will earn one hundred dollars per minute you stay in this pool without jumping out. The winner of today will be the person who stays in the longest. Riccardio and Olivia, where's your swim stuff?" Zane asks. "I left mine at home," Riccardio says. Olivia points at him and nods. "Oh well. Everyone go ahead and follow in," Zane says. Everyone dives in except Riccardio. "CIRCUITS BROKEN," Rob says, as he sinks to the bottom. Zane fishes him out. "Begin!" Zane exclaims. Everyone sits in the pool, swimming around. "This is too easy," Daniella smiles. "Exactly. We'll be filthy rich in no time," Scarlett laughs. "Scarlett, let's race," Michael playfully says, splashing her. "Surprise! It's been five minutes and I'm bored. I'm throwing in an electric eel," Zane laughs. He puts on rubber gloves and throws in an electric eel. "Oh my god!" Natalie screams as she is electrocuted. She quickly dives out of the water to the top of the pool. "Ru--Swim!" Michael screams. Everyone races to the other side of the pool. Several snakes suddenly slither by and crawl into the water. "Ten minute mark! Enjoy!" Zane exclaims. The snake begin swimming to the edge of the pool, taunting the contestants. The water suddenly begins to shift, and waves begin to form. "Wave pool, ladies!" Zane exclaims. Olivia, Tiffany, and Brady dive out of the water at the twelve minute mark. "We're gonna freaking die!" Scarlett screams. Before she can get out, Michael stops her and grabs her hand. The wave pushes Jordan in, and he is bitten by one of the snakes. He screams and jumps out of the pool at the fifteen minute mark. "Okay--now let's get out of here," Michael says. He pushes Scarlett up and climbs out right after her at eighteen minutes. "Tony, Hailey, Marmalade, Harvey, and Daniella remain," Zane says. "It's been twenty minutes and it's time for the next big twist," he says, turning up the heat in the pool. The snakes start swimming faster and the eel starts electrocuting the water. "I did this back in my home country on a show called Killer Karaoke. Much much fun--easy," Marmalade smiles. Tony is suddenly bitten, and he screams and jumps out. Hailey swims up to a ladder and tries to climb out, but the ladder crumbles and she falls in. "I won't give in!" Harvey exclaims. "I am! Sorry Harv!" Daniella screams, climbing out of the pool at the twenty-eight minute mark. Hailey climbs back from the water with several snakes attached to her arms. She screams and dives out of the pool, flopping around trying to get the snakes off. "Tony, Marmalade, and Harvey remain!" Zane exclaims. "I ''can't do this!" Tony screams, climbing out at the thirty minute mark. "You're a worthy opponent," Harvey smiles. "As are you, my dear!" Marmalade smiles. Harvey is suddenly bitten by a snake and is shocked by the eel. He shrieks and climbs out at the thirty-two minute mark. "Marmalade wins with thirty three minutes!" Zane exclaims. He pulls up a clipboard with everyone's time written down on it. "Woohoo!" Marmalade cheers, climbing out. Zane takes off the paper and posts it to the wall behind him with tape. "These are your scores times one hundred. This is now your total cash amount which will be displayed on a monitor in the dining room," Zane says, walking away. The paper displays: Silver Scrolls: Daniella:2800 Harvey:3200 Marmalade:3300 Michael:1800 Natalie:500 Rob: 0 Scarlett:1800 Burning Bushes: Brady:1200 Hailey:2800 Jordan:1500 Olivia:1200 Riccardio: 0 Tiffany:1200 Tony:3000 "Marmalade, you have won the challenge for the Silver Scrolls. You have until nightfall to make the grand decision of two people from the Burning Bushes to go up for elimination," Zane says. Marmalade nods. In the confessional, Marmalade sits, thinking to herself, "That Riccardio fellow didn't even try--but Olivia did. How odd. I'm considering him, definately, but who else? Maybe that homosexual or the strange painter boy." As the sun sets, Harvey talks to his newfound alliance. "Good job, team. We all will be voting for the loser tonight. So if that Riccardio punk goes up for elimination, we definately vote for him. Alright?" "Totally," Daniella smiles. "Everyone report outside! It's time for Marmalade's choice!" Zane exclaims to the entire mansion. Everyone walks outside and sits down around a grill's fire. All fourteen chairs are filled up, and Zane stands in the middle. "I have chosen...Riccardio and Jordan," Marmalade says, sighing. "Very well. Jordan and Riccardio, you will stay here. Everyone else, line up at the confessional and say your votes into the camera. The judges at home will count them and send them to me," Zane says. Everyone but the two stands up and leaves to vote. Moments later, they all return with their heads hung slightly low. "I will now read the votes. The person eliminated will leave in a limo, and will be sent to the castoff camp where they will stay for the remainder of the show," Zane says. He clears his throat. Riccardio and Jordan hang their heads. "Two votes Riccardio. Two votes Jordan." "Two more votes Riccardio. One vote Jordan." "Another vote Jordan." "Another vote Riccardio." "Another vote Riccardio." "Riccardio, I'm sorry, but you've been exiled from Endurance." "What! That's an outrage--you people have no reason to exile him besides his face!" Olivia screams. "It's fine, really. Let's just get me out of here..." Riccardio sighs. Zane stands up and walks Riccardio off. A limo pulls up on the street, accepting him inside. It drives off. "That was foolish," Olivia says, leaning up against a wall, talking to Brady. "We can't help the teams' decision, Olivia," Brady says, walking over to the dining room. "Riccardio didn't deserve what he got, though," Olivia says, following him. "And?" Brady asks. "And I'm saying he deserved a chance," Olivia says. "Whatever," Brady says, walking outside onto the front porch of the mansion. "Whatever? What's your beef, pal?" Olivia asks, following him. "Leave me alone, please," Brady keeps walking. "Why didn't you like him?" Olivia asks, following him. "You're crazy!" Brady leaves the area and sneaks inside through the glass doors. Olivia continues pursuing him. In a small room lit by a green colored lamp, a man sits in a chair, watching a screen through red vision. Above the screen reads a sign, "ROB." "Honey, how is the mansion looking?" a woman asks. "An easy target. Rob is doing perfectly in the competition right now, as well," a man responds. "Lovely. Keep an eye on the boy, will you?" the woman asks. "Certainly." Written on: 3/3/13 Author's Notes: An odd ending, yes? ROB is being controlled by someone spying on someone. Remember, every episode ends with a cliffhanger. '' Episode Three: The Cliffside Chase "An easy target. Rob is doing perfectly in the competition right now, as well," a man responds. "Lovely. Keep an eye on the boy, will you?" the woman asks. "Certainly." "Welcome to the third episode of Endurance! It's time for the second big day, and the second big elimination! Last episode, the teams competed in a challenge where they had to remain in a pool for as long as possible to earn the largest total cash possible. In the ending, Marmalade won for her team, and chose Jordan and Riccardio to go up for elimination. In the end, Riccardio was eliminated. What will happen this episode? Find out: Now!" "Hello, Harvey," Rob says, entering Harvey's room. The sun has risen, and Harvey has just awoken to the morning. "What are you doing in my room?" He asks. "Checking up on my fellow competitor, why?" Rob asks. "No reason--it's just weird," Harvey says. "Everything I do is weird," Rob says, backing out of the room. "...What was that about?" "Why won't you talk to me?" Olivia asks, following Brady. "Riccardio was someone I hated at my highschool, okay?" Brady confides, walking onwards into the brush. "So?" Olivia asks. "He stole my girlfriend, okay?" Brady keeps walking. "Leave me alone!" Brady exclaims, circling around to the mansion. "Why?" Olivia pesters. Suddenly, the two are caught in ropes and hung from trees. They stepped into a trap. "Now look what you got us into!" Brady shouts. "What...is this!?" Olivia exclaims, pouting. "Alliance meeting, girls," Harvey walks outside onto the patio, meeting with Daniella and Natalie. "What is it?" Daniella asks. "We need contemplation. Who shall we go for next?" Harvey asks. "I say we go for the mean chick, Olivia...I think is her name," Natalie recommends. "Gather round, Gather round! It's the first bonus wheel spin!" Zane exclaims to everyone to gather around in the mansion. Marmalade stands next to a portable wheel with several prizes on it. Cash x2 on a small slice, +500 dollars on a huge slice, and nothing on another huge slice. Marmalade cheers and spins the wheel. It circles around until landing on the eventual +500 dollars. "Congratulations, Marmalade!" Harvey exclaims, cheering for her victory. "Thank you Harvey!" She cheers. The monitor on the side of the wall in the dining room shows Marmalade's cash total, and five hundred is added to it. "Gather 'round everyone! Let's view the cash totals so far," Zane says, pointing up to the screen. It shows: CASH: Silver Scrolls: Daniella:2800 Harvey:3200 Marmalade:3800 Michael:1800 Natalie:500 Rob: 0 Scarlett:1800 Burning Bushes: Brady:1200 Hailey:2800 Jordan:1500 Olivia:1200 Tiffany:1200 Tony:3000 "It's gonna be a long day," Jordan says, sighing at his low cash amount. "It's higher than Olivia's," Tiffany whispers to him. "...Where is she, anyway?" Jordan turns around to look for her. "Brady?" Tony asks, turning around. "I'm sure they're caught up swimming or something," Zane says, looking about the mansion. "Well, at least we're all higher than the robot," Hailey laughs. "COMPUTING EMOTIONS," Rob says. "...Anyway, today's challenge will be fairly simple. You will all meet me outside in twenty minutes. Get prepared to run your buns off," he laughs, leaving the area. "We have to run?" Scarlett sighs. "This sucks," Michael says, holding onto Scarlett's shoulder. "It can't be that bad," Scarlett laughs. "It'll be terrible. He's gonna run us 'till we drop, and frankly, I'm not good at running," Michael sighs. Moments after, everyone meets Zane outside in the opening of the forestry. He made everyone strap on collars to their legs, telling them it helps him keep track of them. "Today, you will be running laps around the forest. Each lap is exactly half of a mile. Per lap you run, you gain one point. Per mile you run, you gain a point plus one thousand dollars. Whoever has the most points by the end will be the Ace for the competition today. Also, if you can find Brady or Olivia, do inform them of the challenge, okay?" Zane says, walking over. He pulls out a revolver. "Three." He cocks the revolver. "Two." He lifts it up. "One." He fires. The contestants take off, running. Scarlett and Michael remain in the back, taking their time. Hailey and Tiffany remain in the front, doing cartwheels and tumbles to get to their goal. In the middle lies a mixed group of the two teams. "And remember," Zane shouts, "If you don't run--you'll be shocked!" he laughs. Scarlett stops for a moment. "What?" she asks, and she is instantly shocked. "Ow! How did he do that?" She asks, looking around her body. "It's the collar!" Michael exclaims, picking up his pace. Scarlett quickly keeps up with him. "My side!" Tony falls over, tripping on himself. He is instantly shocked. Tiffany and Hailey compete with their cartwheels. They jump through the brush and around rocks, throwing their backs out. They, however, quickly make it to the starting line again. "One point for the girls!" They continue on. Following behind them, ever so slowly, are the others. After a few moments time, they all have one point at least. Rob sighs robotically, and turns on a function in his suit. He begins to soar quickly ahead of everyone with an adrenaline boost. The others sigh, running ever onwards, growing tired. A second lap is suddenly completed by the robot. "I keep hearing running," Brady sighs. "It's the blood rushing to our heads," Olivia says. "We're going to die, aren't we?" Brady asks, folding his arms in. After moments, everyone has risen to three points, all except Rob who is at four. "This...sucks!" Daniella falls over due to exhaustion. She is electrocuted, but the collar releases, as she simply passes out. This occurs in everyone but Rob, Harvey, and Tiffany. "What's the matter, baby? Can't run anymore?" Tiffany eases Hailey. "Shut............up........!" Hailey pants, falling over. After hours, Rob is at six points, Harvey and Tiffany are at five. The two collapse, leaving Rob at the winning position. "Congratulations, Rob! Did nobody find Olivia or Brady?" Zane asks, looking around. "N........No," Scarlett simply passes out. "Well...drag yourselves back to the mansion. In a few short moments, Rob will decide who he wants to eliminate from the Burning Bushes...again," Zane says, walking off. Hours later, everyone is seated outside around the grill. Rob stands up beside Zane. "Have you decided on someone?" he asks Rob. "Indeed. I have chosen...Brady and Olivia," he spurts out gas after his choice. "Well...neither of them seem to be here...so everyone, go vote for someone to leave," Zane says. Everyone stands up and walks inside, up to the confessional. "This place hasn't been used at all today," Scarlett says from inside. "But since the two are somewhere hiding, I'll vote for Olivia." Next comes Jordan. "For once I'm not up! I vote for Brady. That model is a jerk, and I just know he's got something up his sleeve." Outside, Zane counts the votes. "Mhm...yes," he mumbles. "Three votes on both." "Two more on Olivia." "Two others on Brady." "With one vote remaining, the final vote goes to..." he pauses. "...Olivia! She has been exiled...if only we could find her, at least," Zane says, looking around. "Do I spin the wheel?" Rob asks. "Uh, yes, certainly. Let's go inside," Zane says, walking in. Everyone sighs at Olivia's elimination; not hugely, but not too small. Inside, Rob spins the wheel, and lands on the slice for nothing. "Curses!" He shouts in his robotic tone. "Uh...yeah, anyway--we're done! Get some sleep while we look for the missing people," Zane says, walking out of the mansion. The monitor fixes itself, and displays the final scores: Silver Scrolls: Daniella:3800 Harvey:5200 Marmalade:4800 Michael:2800 Natalie:1500 Rob: 5000 Scarlett:2800 Burning Bushes: Brady:1200 Hailey:3800 Jordan:2500 Olivia:1200 Tiffany:3200 Tony:4000 Out in the forest, the two adults have passed out from the blood rushing into their heads. Two men dressed in camouflage outfits cut them down. They're wearing hunting glasses and carrying knives and bow and arrows. "What should we do with them, Bow-Wow?" One asks. "Hide 'em in da' cave, Bruisah'," Bow-Wow says, walking off into the woods. Bruiser picks the two up by their feet and drags them out to a dark cave system. Suddenly, Bow-Wow's phone rings. "Who is it?" Bruiser asks. "It's the boss," Bow-Wow responds. He answers the phone. "Boss, buddy, is' been a while! We got two of 'em!" he exclaims. "That's nice. What are you going to do when they wake up, you idiots!?" a male voice screams from the other end. "We'll put on the cameras like you said. Hide them in the hair," Bow-Wow answers to the phone. "Hurry. They won't be out long." ''Written On: 3/6/13 Author's Notes: A new chapter. No real notes. Episode Four: Setting Goals, Breaking Hearts Out by a small campfire, the Burning Bushes congregate far away from the mansion. They eat marshmallows and make up for their previous mistakes. The others, the Silver Scrolls, swim in the pool. "It's really kinda awkward. We've lost a lot lately," Jordan sighs. "We can still make up for it," Hailey says, placing a marshmallow onto a stick. "Yeah! We should like...form some relationships! Our team isn't strong if we aren't friends," Tiffany recommends. "Sing some songs, play in the pool a little, you know," Tony laughs in agreement with Tiffany. "I know a song my grandmother taught me when I was little. You might know it, or you might not," Tiffany clears her throat. "What song?" Hailey asks. "It's Lean On Me, honey," Tiffany laughs. She clears her throat once more, "Sometimes...in our lives," ''she starts. "''We all have pain. We all have sorrow," Tony continues. "But if we are wise--we know that there's always tomorrow," Tiffany smiles. Everyone joins in around the campfire and begins the chorus. Lean on me, when you're not strong, And I'll be your friend. I'll help you carry---on. For it won't be long, 'Til I'm gonna need, Somebody to lean--on. "Welcome to the third episode of Endurance! You're all in for a good show tonight! Last time, we did a challenge involving true endurance! We ran laps around the forestry surrounding us--and oddly enough, Brady and Olivia didn't join us. We're still looking for them, actually," Zane searches behind his shoulders and says. "Anyway--we hope you'll enjoy tonight's events! Let's get on with some Endurance!" "Look at them over there, singing Kumbaya," Michael laughs. "I bet they're enjoying themselves more than we are," Scarlett says with a straight face. "What do you mean?" Daniella asks. "They're bonding, and we're just standing here in this filthy pool," Scarlett says, making a good point. "Calm down, girl, it's all good. We don't need to bond because we're just that awesome," Natalie says, smiling. "Hark! The Herald angels si-ing, glory to---the newborn king!" Tiffany sings, prancing around the campfire happily. "Michael, come on, you wanna go join them?" Scarlett asks, looking up to his eyes. "Uh...fine," Michael nods his head. The two climb out of the pool and walk off. "Don't abandon your team like that!" Harvey shouts. "Let them go. Chances are they'll be rejected later," Marmalade whispers to Harvey. He sighs and turns to talk to his alliance members. "Where are we...?" Brady ponders, awakening from a strange nap. He looks up to find himself abandoned in a forestry area. Olivia is next to him, still sleeping. "Olivia?" Brady asks. He shakes her until she opens her eyes. She shoots straight up, slightly shocked. "Where are we?" Olivia asks, curious and scared. "I don't know...I just remember passing out from hanging by those trees and now we're here," Brady says. "How would we have gotten down? There's no rope around us or anything---we were cut down and someone took the rope!" Olivia exclaims. "But who would cut us down and not ''return us to the mansion?" Brady asks her. "I don't know, but you better hope we're close to this place or I am going to be severely ticked," Olivia stands up, brushing the dirt from her legs. Brady takes her hand and stands himself up. The two walk through the woods, trying to find the mansion. "What should we do next?" Tony asks. "We could do plenty of things. ''Moves like Jagger, Please Don't Leave Me--''" Tiffany is interrupted. "Oh! Let me do Jagger--I do a mean Adam Levine and baby, once my shirt's off it's on!" Tony exclaims. "PLEASE! Do not take it off!" Zane races into the picture. "Why are you here?" Tony asks. "I'm warning you all that the next challenge will happen in a few minutes," Zane responds. "Really?" Scarlett asks, walking up with Michael. "What are you doing here?" Jordan asks. "We wanted to join ya'll. You know, it's boring with my team's stupidity," Scarlett says. Twenty Minutes later, Zane calls everyone to the mansion dining room. The monitor shows the current cash amounts and the current leader, Harvey, at 5,200 dollars. On the dining room table lies eighteen buckets of water with miscellaneous items inside. As the players follow into the area, Zane blind folds them and leads them to the table. "Has anyone seen Brady or Olivia?" Zane asks them. "Nope. They're probably dead," Daniella says, bumping into the table. "Ah...yes, ''anyway!" Zane claps his hands and walks to the edge of the table. "What are we doing?" Rob asks, turning his head slowly. "This is today's challenge. The first part at least. There are eighteen buckets of water in front of you. Inside are various items. Some contain fortune cookies, some contain plastic baggies--but most contain bags full of nothing but air. You must stick your head into a bucket, it doesn't matter which, and dig out the item inside. You'll then remove your blindfold and open your item. If it contains a paper slip, you move on to round two with a bonus of three thousand dollars. If you fail, you don't get anything. Go!" Zane exclaims. Everyone dives their heads into the water buckets. Rob does so and short circuits, knocking over his bucket and collapsing to the floor. When everyone submerges from the water, they drop their items to the table. They lift them up and open them up. "Ugh, really? I got nothing," Natalie says, crumbling a fortune cookie to the ground. "Well, I'm obviously not loved enough," Michael sighs, throwing an empty plastic bag to the ground. Everyone else crumbles their cookies and opens their bags to find slips of paper with various clues on them. "Everyone else has gotten three thousand dollars added to their totals. The people who got clues--there are various items hidden in the forest that attain to your clues. When you find them, bring them to me. The first person to bring their item to me that is correct will win one thousand and seventy five dollars. The second will win seventy five dollars. The third person will get twenty, and anyone past this will get nothing. You have exactly one hour to find your prizes before I call time. Whoever has the most winners on their team will win. For the losers, the immune person will have brought their item to me before anyone else on their team. Go!" Zane exclaims. Everyone but Michael, Rob, and Natalie races out of the mansion. For Daniella, she must find a fork in a tree. Her clue reads, "The fork in the path is the spoon of the forest. Where is the fork if you are the spoon?" She searches alongside Harvey and Marmalade. For Harvey, he must locate a football hidden in a bush. "A ball in the hand is worth two in the bush," his clue reads. Marmalade's clue is actually pretty straightforward. "To win a simple game of scavenge, find a can of gas." Scarlett, who searches alone, must find a tough item. "Please, if you're reading this, our ratings are DESPERATE. If you find Brady, you get to win!" "...That's stupid, Brady's dead!" Scarlett shouts in her brain. Hailey and Tiffany walk and search together. Tiffany must find a microphone hidden in a squirrel's hole of a tree. "Sing me a song of many holes," her clue reads. Hailey must locate a christmas-ornament star hidden somewhere in the woods. "The woods will shine bright, just like a fallen star." Jordan and Tony search far apart from each other. Jordan is apparently a homophobe. Anyway, Jordan must find a basketball hidden in the open near the mansion. He just hasn't realized it yet. "It's in the open, you dimwit! It's something orange with many stripes." Tony's clue reads, "Find the secret in the pants." This of course, means something totally different than what he's thinking. It means he needs to find a pair of jeans hanging from a tree branch. "I wonder," Scarlett says. She walks out into the forestry, following an odd crunching noise. Instead of locating Brady or Olivia, she bumps into Harvey and his alliance. In his arm lies a football. Marmalade and Daniella continue searching. "Shouldn't you take that to Zane?" Scarlett asks. "Yes, I probably should," Harvey looks down at his prized possession. A few feet away from them is Tony. He's looking for someone with pants, but can't seem to find them. He looks up above him and sees a pair of blue jeans. He thinks to himself, "Ohhh,..." and hops up to grab them. He yanks them down and throws them across his shoulder. Tony and Harvey return to Zane. Harvey returns first with his, gaining the first place cash. Tony gets the second place cash prize. "Congratulations, boys, you won the challenge. And since you're both on opposing teams, one of you will have immunity and one will be the Ace. Fun, yes?" Zane laughs. "Girl, have you seen something like this?" Tiffany hands Hailey her clue. Hailey nods her head 'no'. Hailey gives Tifanny her clue, and they give each other the same shady looks. Suddenly, Hailey notices a sparkle behind a bush. She walks up and looks to find a shining christmas star. She cheers, grabs it, and leaves. "Only six minutes left!" Zane exclaims. Just as he says this, Hailey and Jordan race up to Zane cheerfully with the correct items in hand. Zane nods his head and makes them stand back. Minutes pass, and nobody returns to Zane. Out in the forest, Scarlett ducks down behind a set of rocks. "Geez, I've never been here before," Brady says, looking out to a river nearby. "We're definately going in the wrong direction," Olivia sighs. "Brady!" Scarlett exclaims. She dives out from the rocks and races up to them. "Scarlett! Did you get kidnapped too?" He asks her. "...Kidnapped? No, it's a scavenger hunt challenge. What's up with you two?" Scarlett ponders to the two. "We got caught in a freaking trap. We got caught up in the tree and passed out. We woke up with our bounds cut. So someone's like, stalking us or something," Olivia complains. "Wow...lets get you two back to camp," Scarlett says. "Time is almost up!" Zane exclaims to everyone. In a few brief moments, Scarlett emerges with Brady and Olivia in her arms. "Holy crap, she actually found them!" Zane exclaims. Scarlett brings them up, marking the challenge off of her objectives. "We've been tied up in the trees," Brady says. "What?" Zane asks. "She kept trying to talk to me when we both got caught in some rope traps. We got strung upside down until we passed out. When we woke up, we were passed out on the ground with our ropes gone. So someone found us and cut us down," Brady says. "Holy cow. One sec--" Zane pulls out his microphone, "Time is up!" He shouts. As everyone emerges empty handed (who was in the brush), they ponder what Brady and Olivia are doing back. "Who got eliminated while we were gone?" Olivia asks. "Well...heh, funny story. You did," Zane says. "...I what!? That's so unfair! We got kidnapped!" Olivia exclaims with anger. "I realize this now. I'll consider your problem, Olivia. As for Brady who still remains in the game, I'll excuse you from the challenge," Zane says. "Thanks, dude," Brady fist bumps him. "Anyway, we must tally up the scores now. The Scrolls had Scarlett and Harvey as successful. The Burning Bushes had Tony, Hailey, and Jordan to win! So, for the first time, The Burning Bushes win the challenge!" Zane exclaims and cheers. "Amazing! See, our little session did help us!" Tiffany exclaims. The Bushes cheer for their first victory, while the Silver Scrolls remain upset and down. "As for you all, I promised the first person to give me their item would be safe. Harvey, you are immune from this elimination," Zane says to the team. "And as for you all," he says to the Bushes, "Tony brought his item in first for you all, so he wins the title of Ultimate Ace! Woo!" Zane exclaims. The entire team cheers for their friend. Zane leads them inside for the score updates on the cash monitor. Silver Scrolls: Daniella:6800 Harvey:9275 Marmalade:7800 Michael:2800 Natalie:1500 Rob: 5000 Scarlett:5800 Burning Bushes: Brady:1200 Hailey:6800 Jordan:5500 Tiffany:6200 Tony:7075 "Brady, I'm sorry, but I cannot give you a cash score for your current handicap. As for Tony--you need to choose two people to send to elimination, and we'll all go vote," Zane says. He walks off. Tony looks around awkwardly at the entire losing team in front of him. Within the hour, Tony goes to Zane with enough gut to tell him he's ready for elimination. Zane agrees and summons everyone to the grill outside, where he forces Tony to stand in the back, next to the bonus wheel. "Before we reveal, Tony, spin the bonus wheel!" Zane exclaims. Tony sighs and spins the wheel, only to gain five hundred extra dollars. "Alright!" Tony exclaims. "Ah, yes. And now, Tony, reveal to us your choice elimination parties," Zane says, trying to move the day on. "Well...I could not pick Scarlett because she actually found her thing. Apparently she had to find Brady, ha. I like Michael, he's kinda cool. So...uh, I'm going with Rob and Natalie." "Very well. Go on, guys and girls, and vote someone off in the confessional!" "A short girl who can't do anything and a robot who can fly. I think we know who my vote goes for," Harvey laughs from inside the confessional. "The robot, obviously. We can't work right with a robot hindering our progress," Scarlett sighs to the camera. "I...I don't know, really. I haven't been here," Brady says. "I shall now tally up the votes," Zane says. He looks into a box with the votes written down. "Good luck, Natalie!" Scarlett whispers to her. "Ahem!" Zane clears his throat."One vote Rob." "One vote Natalie." "Another vote Rob." "Another vote Natalie." "A third vote on Rob." "A fourth vote on Rob." "A fifth vote for Rob." Rob sits there, remaining short circuited from the original challenge involving water. "Rob, you have too many votes against you. You are the next to be exiled from Endurance!" Zane exclaims. He drags the robot by his leg to a limo parked on the street. He throws him in, slamming the door behind. The Silver Scrolls walk off in shame at their first loss. "Scarlett, we've been friends for some time now," Michael says, grabbing onto her shoulder inside his room. "Uh, Michael?" She asks, looking up at him. "I feel like we're forming some sort of...connection." "Michael, what are you talking about?" Scarlett sits back on his bed, avoiding him. "I'm talking about us. Scarlett...will you like, go out with me?" Michael asks, his cheeks turning red. "Oh...gosh....I don't really think I'm ready for a relationship, Michael--I'm sorry," Scarlett sighs, diving off of his bed. She reaches for Michael's door. "Scar--wait!" Michael races after her. "Michael...just--" Scarlett opens the door and trips. She busts the side of her head on the wall outside, going unconscious. The man in the green room sits in his chair, agitated. "The robot's been kicked off! That short circuit issue completely ruined everything!" He shouts. "Calm down, dear. We can still see him in the mansion. We just need to spy from a distance," the wife smiles, whispering in his ear. "...Oh dear, you know just the right things to say." He laughs, kissing her. "Scarlett?" Michael asks her, laying her down in her room. Her eyes barely open. Her vision is hazy and her eyes are heavy. "M--M--Mich-" She barely mutters before going under again. "Scarlett!? Scarlett!? Please, Scarlett! Wake up!" Written On: 3/25/13 Author's Notes: This chapter was a sort of redemption. I hadn't worked on this in a while and I still want to continue it. Hopefully I still have some readers! xD Episode Five: I Remember You... "I have told you a million times, boys," The man of the green room disciplines the two males, Bruiser and Bow-Wow, for their performances. "What did we do wrong?" Bruiser asks. "Those cameras are broken. The robot was kicked out, and we have no means of keeping track on that mansion and the boy!" The man shouts, flipping over his scientific notes. This man, a scientist himself, has short blonde hair, and wears clear glasses around his eyes. He sighs, sitting down in a rolling chair. "Wha' shoul' we do now Bawss'?" Bow-Wow asks him. "What should you do!? Get out of my office! You're both fired!" He exclaims, pointing out to his lab door. The boys sigh and leave the room. "Darling?" The scientist's wife asks, walking inside. "What is it, Selene?" He asks. "Your friend has arrived," she says, holding out a parrot to the doctor. "Ah, yes! Little Mason," he laughs, scooping the bird into his arms. "I'll sign for you, Jason," Selene says, walking out of the lab. He strokes the little bird's fur. "So you're my caretaker?" The bird asks, looking up to the scientist. "Yes, my little genetic engineered marvel," Jason laughs.